Chapter 4: What My Mother Found in My Bedroom
“Especially not what she found in your daughter's bedroom.””
Vanessa's words hung in the room like smoke.
Dad stood beside the television, holding his phone so tightly that his knuckles had turned white.
For several seconds, he didn't speak.
Then he asked, “What did Emily find?””
There was silence on the other end.
“Vanessa, answer me.””
“I didn't mean for any of this to happen, Daniel.””
Dad's eyes narrowed.
“Didn't mean for what to happen?””
Michael Reed stepped closer to the television and paused the recording.
I stood beside the sofa, clutching the photograph of Mom and me.
I didn't understand why Vanessa was calling.
I didn't understand why Mom had sounded frightened.
But I understood one thing.
The woman who had torn my mother's photograph was afraid of something.
And for the first time, I wondered whether she had been afraid of my mother, too.
“Daniel,” Vanessa finally said, “you need to come alone. We can discuss this privately.””
“No.””
“Please. Lily doesn't need to hear this.””
Dad looked at me.
“She has heard enough lies.””
“I'm trying to protect her!””
Dad laughed bitterly.
“Protect her? You destroyed the only photograph she had of her mother.””
“That was different!””
“How?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Dad lowered his voice.
“Tell me what Emily found.””
A long pause followed.
Then Vanessa whispered, “The photograph wasn't the only thing she kept.””
Dad's expression changed.
“What else?””
“Look beneath Lily's bedroom floorboard.””
My stomach tightened.
Dad turned toward me.
“Which floorboard?””
Vanessa continued.
“The one beside her bed. Emily hid something there before she died.””
Dad closed his eyes.
“Why would my wife hide something in our daughter's bedroom?””
“Because she didn't trust you.””
The words hit harder than a slap.
Dad went completely still.
Then he said, “We're done talking.””
“Daniel, wait—”
He ended the call.
Michael looked uncomfortable.
“Daniel, I think we should proceed carefully.””
Dad turned toward him.
“Did you know about the floorboard?””
Michael shook his head.
“No.””
“Did you know Emily hid something?””
“I knew she had concerns about Vanessa. I didn't know what she had hidden.””
Dad stared at him.
“Then we're going upstairs.””
I followed them.
My bedroom looked exactly as I had left it that morning.
My stuffed rabbit was sitting against the pillow.
My schoolbooks were scattered across the desk.
The blue box was open on the bed.
Dad walked toward the small space beside my bedside table.
“Lily, sweetheart, do you know which floorboard she's talking about?””
I pointed.
“That one makes a funny noise.””
Dad crouched.
He pressed his palm against it.
The board shifted slightly.
Michael brought a small tool from his medical bag.
He carefully lifted the edge.
Beneath it was a narrow space.
Inside lay a small metal tin.
Dad pulled it out.
There was dust on the lid.
And a little white ribbon tied around it.
I recognized the ribbon immediately.
It belonged to Mom.
Dad untied it with trembling fingers.
Inside were three things.
A small USB drive.
A folded photograph.
And a handwritten note.
Dad opened the note first.
The writing was unmistakably Mom's.
Daniel,
If you found this, then something has happened that I desperately hoped we could avoid.
Please don't assume the worst about everyone involved.
But don't trust Vanessa simply because she knows how to make you feel guilty.
Dad read the sentence twice.
Then he unfolded the photograph.
It showed Mom standing outside a café.
She was holding a document.
Beside her stood Vanessa.
They weren't smiling.
In fact, Vanessa appeared to be shouting at her.
On the back, Mom had written a date.
It was six months before she died.
Dad stared at the picture.
“Why didn't you tell me?”” he whispered.
Michael examined the photograph.
“Do you recognize the location?””
Dad nodded slowly.
“The old café near Emily's office.””
“Was Vanessa working there?””
“No. She used to visit Emily.””
I looked at the photograph.
“Why was Vanessa shouting at Mommy?””
Dad didn't answer.
He plugged the USB drive into his laptop.
A folder appeared.
Inside were several scanned documents, photographs, and one audio recording.
Dad clicked the first document.
His expression changed immediately.
It was a copy of a property agreement.
Our house.
The house Mom and Dad had bought together before she became ill.
Dad scrolled down.
Then stopped at a name.
Vanessa Cole.
Michael leaned over his shoulder.
“What is that?””
Dad read silently.
Then he whispered, “She had no right.””
“What?”” Michael asked.
Dad turned the screen toward him.
The document showed an attempted transfer of a financial interest in the property.
The signature was supposed to be Emily Carter's.
But it wasn't.
Dad stared at the signature.
“Someone forged her name.””
Michael looked at him.
“Are you sure?””
“I watched Emily sign hundreds of documents. This isn't her handwriting.””
Dad clicked another file.
There was an email conversation.
The messages showed Vanessa contacting a legal assistant, asking about the transfer of property rights.
One sentence stood out.
Once Daniel signs the remaining documents, everything will be much easier.
Dad leaned back.
His face had gone pale.
I touched his arm.
“Daddy, are you angry?””
He immediately closed the laptop.
“No, sweetheart.””
But I knew he was.
Not at me.
At someone else.
Michael picked up the final document.
It was a handwritten statement from my mother.
Dad read it aloud.
“Vanessa approached me several times about changing the ownership structure of the house. I refused. She told me Daniel would eventually agree once I was no longer involved.””
Dad stopped.
Michael looked at him.
“Daniel…”
Dad continued reading.
“On the day I confronted her, she became angry. She said I was making it impossible for her to have the life she wanted.””
The room fell silent.
Then Dad reached the final line.
She told me that when I was gone, she would make sure Lily stopped being part of Daniel's life.
I felt cold.
“Daddy?””
Dad pulled me close.
“I'm here.””
“Did Vanessa want me gone?””
He didn't answer immediately.
Then he said, “I don't know everything yet, sweetheart. But I promise nobody is taking you away from me.””
Michael picked up the USB drive.
“There is still the audio recording.””
Dad nodded.
He clicked it.
For a few seconds, all we heard was background noise.
Then Mom's voice.
“Vanessa, I know what you're trying to do.””
Another voice responded.
Vanessa.
“Emily, you're imagining things.””
“Then why did you ask the lawyer to change the property documents?””
“Because Daniel and I are going to be married.””
“Daniel doesn't even know you've contacted him.””
“He doesn't need to know everything.””
Mom's voice became firmer.
“This is my daughter's home.””
Vanessa laughed.
“Your daughter will be fine.””
“She's eight years old.””
“And Daniel is going to need someone when you're gone.””
There was a pause.
Then Mom asked quietly, “Is that why you're here?””
Vanessa didn't answer.
Mom continued.
“You're not worried about him being alone. You're worried about what happens when I'm no longer here to stop you.””
A chair scraped.
Then Vanessa said something that made Dad stand up so suddenly that his chair fell backward.
“By the time Daniel realizes what I've done, he'll already have signed everything.””
The recording ended.
Nobody spoke.
Dad stared at the laptop.
Then he looked at Michael.
“How long have you known?””
Michael shook his head.
“Only what Emily told me during her final weeks.””
“Why didn't you warn me?””
“I tried to contact you.””
“When?””
“After Emily died. Several times.””
Dad frowned.
“I never received anything.””
Michael opened his leather folder.
He removed a printed letter.
“Your office responded to my first message. It said you didn't want further contact.””
Dad read the document.
The signature at the bottom wasn't his.
It was Vanessa's name.
And beneath it was a sentence:
Mr. Carter is currently dealing with personal matters and has requested that all communication regarding his late wife be directed through me.
Dad's hands began to shake.
He looked toward the hallway.
For the first time, I saw something in his face that frightened me more than his anger.
He looked betrayed.
Not by Vanessa alone.
But by the possibility that someone had spent years controlling what he knew about his own wife.
Then Michael's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His face changed.
“It's the hospital administrator.””
Dad motioned for him to answer.
Michael put the call on speaker.
“Dr. Reed, we need to speak with you immediately,” a man's voice said.
Michael frowned.
“About what?””
“The review documents you removed from the archive.””
Dad stepped closer.
“What documents?””
The administrator hesitated.
“Mr. Carter, are you there?””
“Yes.””
“Then I need you both to come to the hospital.””
“Why?””
The administrator took a breath.
“Because the original medication report has been altered.””
Dad looked at Michael.
“What?””
“And someone has just requested access to the archived records under Emily Carter's name.””
Michael's face went white.
“Who?””
The administrator paused.
May you like
Then answered.
“Vanessa Cole.””
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